With the fight for attention and engagement of fans becoming ever more competitive, sports teams aren’t just focused on winning games, they’re building content machines. At SportsPro New York 2025, Artlist brought together the Philadelphia Eagles, New York Mets, and Meta to unpack how leading sports brands create content that cuts through the noise, connects with fans, and drives culture.
A new era of sports content
Fans no longer just watch games, they follow storylines. They want more than scores; they want to know who a player is off the field, what the locker room feels like after a win, and how the team prepares behind closed doors. As attention spans shrink and the scroll speeds up, teams need to think like creators, not just marketers.
That’s the mindset driving the Philadelphia Eagles. Jennifer Kavanagh, SVP of Marketing & Media, explained how the team treats access as its secret weapon. “We want fans to feel like they’re right there with the players, in the meeting room, in the locker room,” she said.
But access only works when it’s built on trust. “Those things are only possible if you have a foundation of trust,” Kavanagh said. That means building real relationships with players, collaborating closely with them, and helping them see the benefit of social as a tool to tell their stories — not just promote the brand.
So the Eagles bring cameras into weight rooms, capture recovery sessions, and turn everyday moments into stories. But it’s not just about access, it’s about personality. From locker room challenges to staff spotlights, their content shows the human side of the team. They tap into pop culture, embrace humor, and constantly feed their idea pipeline to stay creatively agile.
They also balance quantity with quality. In one year alone, they publish more than 30,000 pieces of content. That kind of volume is only possible with a team of creatives empowered to move fast and a strategy that flexes from short-form fun to long-form docuseries.
Content made for the scroll
The New York Mets apply a similar mindset but with a laser focus on platform-native content. “We don’t just repurpose,” said Will Carafello, Senior Director of Social Media. “We produce for the way each audience consumes.”
The Mets build content specifically for TikTok Reels, with a dedicated videographer to shoot vertical-first. They let the platform dictate the pacing, tone, and storytelling format, and fans respond.
Music plays a starring role. Whether it’s Francisco Lindor choosing The Temptations for his walk-up song or José Iglesias performing post-game, the Mets turn every moment into entertainment. These cultural crossovers extend the team’s reach beyond sports fans and into the broader entertainment ecosystem.
They also play to each player’s preferences. Some love the spotlight, others prefer a lower profile. Their content strategy adapts to individual comfort levels, balancing big personalities with more subtle stories to give every fan someone to connect with.
Behind the creativity, the team keeps a close eye on analytics, doubling down on what resonates and cutting what doesn’t. They remain responsive, always evolving and tuned into what fans want.
Tools that fuel the engine
To move fast without sacrificing quality, teams need tools that match their ambition. Dikla Bengio, Global Partnerships Manager at Artlist, explained how their platform supports top-tier teams like the Florida Panthers, Kansas City Chiefs, and NYCFC.
“We make it easy for teams to move quickly, stay on brand, and stay legal,” she said. With royalty-free music, sound effects, footage, templates, LUTs, and AI tools all in one place, Artlist helps creators focus on storytelling, not licensing headaches.
She pointed to the Florida Panthers’ banner-raising ceremony as a prime example. They used Artlist music to soundtrack the full event, allowing them to post without muting or editing the audio. The result? A seamless, shareable moment that delivered real emotional impact. And thanks to AI-powered search, teams can find exactly what they need fast, and get it straight into the edit.
Winning the next generation
Reaching younger fans isn’t optional, it’s essential. Both the Eagles and Mets recognize that Gen Z and Gen Alpha are growing up on TikTok, not cable. They expect content that feels raw, fast, and real.
So teams go where their fans are and speak the language of each platform. Short-form videos, creator collaborations, and personality-driven content make the experience feel native and authentic. Whether it’s a dance trend, training montage, or off-the-cuff locker room moment, fans want what’s unfiltered. The goal isn’t perfection, it’s connection. And connection wins.
Both teams also see youth engagement as bigger than content alone. For the NFL, programs like flag football aren’t just about growing participation, they’re about building lifelong fans by involving them early. “We want them to grow up with the game, watch the game, and stick around it,” Jennifer emphasizes.
Fans as community
One of the most powerful insights from the session? The evolving nature of fan relationships. It’s no longer just about the team-to-fan connection, it’s fan-to-fan too.
“Their relationship is not just with us, it’s with each other,” said Jennifer from the Eagles. That’s why community-driven content matters. Fans want to feel part of something bigger. And when they do, they stick around, even when players switch teams or seasons change.
That shift, from shield to team to player to fan community, reflects a deeper transformation in modern sports marketing. In an era of high player turnover and short-term loyalty, emotional storytelling is the glue that keeps fans engaged.
The new content playbook
The panel closed with rapid-fire advice that summed up the new rules of the game:
- Eagles: Treat content like the sport. Strategize, execute, and adapt with purpose.
- Mets: Let your players lead. Their personalities are your brand’s biggest asset.
- Artlist: Give creators the tools to move fast and tell better stories — without limits.
As the session wrapped, one idea stood out: in a world where content is infinite, substance is what breaks through. Emotion, authenticity, and creativity aren’t trends, they’re the foundation of modern fandom.
Want to win your next fan? Start with the story, and let Artlist help you tell it. Talk to Artlist Business.
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